Phil Mickelson squandered a three-shot advantage during a front-nine tailspin before hanging on to share a one-stroke lead with Davis Love III after the US PGA Championship third round last night.
Mickelson, three clear at the start of day three, registered three bogeys in his first six holes before getting back on track for a two-over-par 72 while fellow American Love posted a two-under 68 for matching totals of six-under 204.
Thomas Bjorn of Denmark was one shot back in third at 205 after firing a seven-under 63 that tied the record for the lowest score in a major championship.
Tied for fourth at 206 on a crowded leaderboard were defending champion Vijay Singh of Fiji, after a 69, unheralded American Pat Perez (67), 1995 PGA winner Steve Elkington (68) and fellow Australian Stuart Appleby (69).
Twice U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, Britons Lee Westwood and Greg Owen and Americans Jason Bohn and Ben Curtis were bunched at 207, three shots behind the co-leaders.
World number one Tiger Woods mounted a charge early in the day, posting a 66 to move to even-par 210 and lie six strokes off the pace.
Ireland's Paul McGinley is two over par.